After so many years in management, he will have made plenty of mistakes, got hundreds of decisions wrong in the course of selecting teams.

Yet last night was arguably the biggest game of his career and, as such, so much importance hung on his decision to play Andy Carroll. If it went wrong, the accusations would fly. Hodgson would be labelled in some quarters as an old fashioned manager who reverts to old fashioned ways when push comes to shove.

But thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Carroll justified his inclusion, not just with that towering headed goal, but with his overall game. With chaos prevailing elsewhere in a crazy second half, you couldn’t point the finger at Carroll.

Apart from a clumsily challenge that conceded the free-kick for Sweden’s first goal, the big centre-forward put himself in the frame for another Euro 2012 game next Tuesday.

2 England become too nervous and cautious when they have their noses in front.

For all of England’s improvements as a defensive unit, they have let a goal lead slip now twice in a row. Even worse, they went one better here by letting Sweden go ahead. You could accept it a little easier against France, a talented team, but to do it again against an ordinary side like Sweden smacked of carelessness. More than that, it was smacked of a team that, come the crunch, doesn’t believe in itself.

New manager, old failings. Hodgson must somehow find a way to rid the team of this malaise. It is costing the country dear on a regular basis now in major tournaments.

3 England defend deep for a good reason.

Well, more than one reason actually. Roy Hodgson, as we know, loves his two banks of four. No matter the opposition, he always likes his teams to stay nice and compact, with the rearguard often sitting a yard or two deeper than other teams. And we saw clearly enough in Kiev why Hodgson has stuck with this ethos.

Because in a straight race, John Terry, in particular, struggles to keep pace with anyone moderately quick when the ball is played behind this battling centre-half. Zlatan Ibrahimovic embarrassed Terry when he made up a good few yards to steal the ball and leave Terry floundering.

It was rare moment of weakness, the kind you wouldn’t want to see repeated against Ukraine next week.

4 England have a goalkeeper to give everyone confidence.

It wasn’t that Joe Hart was given loads to do by Sweden. Apart from the goals, neither of which were his fault, much of Hart’s work involved catching straightforward crosses and collecting shots from distance.

This he managed, though, with reassuring competence. Nothing looked a problem. Hart appeared totally in control. Manchester City’s keeper knows that he’s good, and that brimming self belief inevitably should spread through the ranks better than it has.

This back four, after all, isn’t the best England have ever fielded, but it becomes so much stronger with a man like Hart behind. If England progress from this group, Hart’s influence, what’s more, could become even more vital, as penalty shoot-outs rear their ugly heads.

5 Ukraine have a point to prove against England They should have anyway after a really flat performance against France on Friday night. Nothing much came off for Oleg Blokhin’s side.

Their wide men, Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka, offered very little when the team usually depend on a threat from that pair. This didn’t help Andriy Shevchenko one bit. Ukraine’s hero and talisman cut a frustrated figure as his team flailed around helplessly in search of a reply.

Whether this spells bad news for England, only time will tell. One thing is certain: the crowd in Donetsk will demand their team give it a go. If they are going to get eliminated, the players will be expected to go down fighting – a dangerous situation for any opponent.